The Lederhosen Junkies are a Texas based polka band from the New Braunfels area. They bring a fresh new take on old time classics and insert their own unique spin on traditional tunes. Polka fans young and old will enjoy their wide array of music ranging from traditional German, Czech, and Polish polkas and waltzes, as well as the occasional modern tune tossed into the mix.
The band was formed in 2020, as a duo, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning. Isaak Klaus played accordion and Dustin Brown was on the drums. The duo landed their first paying gig at Rough House Brewing in San Marcos, Texas…then the pandemic got into full swing and everything shut down.
Although gigs were in short supply Isaak took to the web to get the word out about the new band. Isaak recorded multiple renditions of various polkas and waltzes to share through social media which started creating a fanbase for the band and brought some sanity to everyone stuck at home.
In 2021 the Lederhosen Junkies landed their first major festival, Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas. In preparation for the festival season, Sean Malicki was hired. Sean’s trumpet helped fill out the band’s sound and his improvisational skills on the trumpet were a crowd favorite. The band played several festivals that year and continued to grow in popularity.
As the band gelled and more gigs came their way they were fortunate enough to bring Eric Trumet into the mix to round out their sound. Eric’s bass really energized the Junkies sound and the band went from playing mainly local events to playing across Texas in 2022.
The Junkies upbeat style and on-stage antics keeps the crowd engaged and begging for more. Matthew M. commented, “This is simply the most fun polka band to experience. I have seen them several times, including at Wurstfest. [T]he songs are fun and the crowd always loves them, and I know I certainly do! They do both classics and polka versions of a few modern songs which are just as hilarious and wonderful.”
In addition to Wurstfest, Junkies fans have seen them play at the Fort Worth Oktoberfest, the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest, the Muenster Germanfest, and the Tomball German Heritage Festival just to name a few and the list of festivals keeps growing. In 2024 the band is embarking on the “Too Much Beer Tour” and are planning to take their brand of polka music to audiences out of state, including Nashville, TN and Red River, NM.
